St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-03
Statements From Both the
Men as to the Cause
of the Trouble.
The Council Committee Took
No Final Action on the
Elevated Road.
Doings of One Very Busy Day
as Recorded by Globe
Reporters.
ROW OVER RENT
j. p. johnson Was Probably Fa-
tally Shot by Michael Nash.

ohON W AAASAe%SA
A Wretched two-Story frame double
tenement at Nos. ATS and $50 Robert
street is the home of dOZen poor fam
lilies. The house is leased from the
owner by J. p. Johnson, who occupies,
with his family, small room in No. $50
and sub-rentS the other apartments.
johnson was probably fatally shot
about half-paSt five yesterday afternoon
by Michael Nash, one of his tenants,
with whom he quarreled about the pay
ment of the rent. Nash. with his wife
and five children. the oldest about eight
years of age and the youngest babe in
arms, occupied two rear rooms in No.
AIS. He is a day labOrer and has been
without work for some time, his wife
supporting the family by taking in
washing. According to Mrs. Nash's
to the fight except one of
Sash's little BOYS. Mrs. Nash went
out in the afternoon, she says, TO deliver
some washing, leaving her husband at
home to care for the baby. who was
asleep. Mrs. Martha McNulty, who
with her husband occupies a room adj
Joining, heard johnson enter NaSh'S
room yesterday afternoon. and heard
LOUD TALKING AND SCUFFLING
for some time before the shot was fired.
She could not tell what the men were
saying, but thought they SwOre and
called names. and she knew they were
fighting. When she heard the report of
the shot she ran out and gave
the alarm to some men rOOming
next door. Officer Pottgeiser
sent in an alarm of murder from police
patrol box No. :, at Seventh and Jack
81 ,v1H in q chnrt tiIOQ tho r.ofrOl
sleigh was at the house. Nash did not
wait to be arrested but ran all the way
to the central station in his shirt sleeves,
with the smoking revolver in his hand,
and gave himself up to Chief Clark. 1t
is a 32-caliber weapon, of the "De-
fender" brand. and looks more like
toy pistol than one capable of such
deadly execution. The ball entered
JohnSon'S side Just above the heart, and
about two inches below the left
prm-pit. DrS. Murphy and HOyt,
were called, and the wounded man was
removed to his own bed. 1t was thought
he could not live more than an hour.
He was given StimulantS and revived
somewhat, but the bullet could not be
probed for, or located.
Chief of Detectives O'COnnor and
Deputy Clerk of Courts Baz Armstrong
came about 6 o'clock to take his ante
mOrtem statement. He was vomiting
blood andvery weak.
'YOu know you are badly shot, don't
you?" he was asked, and he responded
with nod in the affirmative.
''Who shot YOU? This may be the
last thing you will speak. You want to
state what is so. What is his Nance"
Il don't know"
'He was one of your roomers, wasn't
he?"
eyes"
Ibid you have any trouble with him."
s'YeS."
'Why did he shoot you?"
she didn't want to move out"
ibid you hit him."
s'No."
did you strike the man that shot
you?"
''Did he strike you?"
ssNo SIR
Ibid he say he was going to shoot
you?"
Yes"
"Why did he?"
"He said if l put him out of those
rooms he would shoot me-
t'Did this man owe you any rent?'
'Of course he did"
"The first of the mOnth"-(The
wounded man was growing weaker.
He heSitated and turned upon his pill
low, heaving great quantities of blood
from his mouth. He was revived with
brandy.
"He would not pay"
Let me talk. The first of the month
his rent was due, and he says, Wait on
me- [ got to pay my rent every month
tn advance"
Tell about how you got shot
''He shot ME because asked him for
the rent"
ibid you tell him you would put him
out if he did not pay?"
'NO. | told him to pay it as soon as
he could. That is why he shot me.
That man shot me-"
ibid you have any words with this
mans wife,
''NO."
He was too weak to say any more,
and sank back exhausted. A priest
came in few moments to attend to his
spiritual welfare. As the priest turned
to leave he pulled himself up to sitting
posture. and shouted loud enough to be
heard throughout the house:
PPM goin' to get over this. I'm goin'
to shoot the --- that shot me-"
The effort exhausted him completely,
and he fell back unconscious.
THE PRISONERS STORY.
The prisoner was interviewed in his
cell, where his little boy was allowed to
spend the night with him. A big patch
of skin is torn from his nose, and he has
q slight scratch on one cheek. Other
wise he does not appear to be injured.
He said:
johnson came in and demanded the
rent. | told him i would pay the rent,
and we had some words. We had been
paying $40 a month and he wanted us
TO pay $12 for this month or move out.
He went out and came back again, and
batted the door in with big stick of
wood that was lying in the hall outside.
At that he jumped on me and said he
would put me out, and struck me in the
face with his fist, Skinning my nose. l
cIinched with him and he struck me
again, knocking me Ovea on top of the
baby. l got UP again and he rushed at
me and drew the revolver and shot
him. He called me all sorts of names
and was going TO throw my wife and
five little children out into the street,
and was mad. But l hope the poor
man won't die"
ibid you ever hear that he inSulted
yonr wife,"
Yes, my Wife told me that he in
suited her week ago last Saturday."
The big stick of wood which Nash re-
fers to was found in the room. Mrs.
Nash first heard the news from GLOBE
reporter. She saws that week ago last
Saturday johnson caught her in the
hall and tried to kiss her, and made i'm
proper proposals. Last Monday night
She says he came to her and cursed her
and called her names, and ordered
her to move out at once. Mrs.
McNulty heard the conversation
between them at that time, and cOrrobo-
rates Mrs. Nash.
A FURTHER STATEMENT.
Johnson Yomited great deal of blood
during the early night and was too weak
70 talk much. At midnight the physi-